Okay, the last action in the KG Heller campaign coming up! Following
Just Jack's original, this features the Germans trying to mop-up one of the last isolated bastions of somewhat organized Polish resistance. The idea here is that there have already been extensive aerial and artillery prepatory bombardments, and KG Heller is going in to eliminate the last resistance...
The Forces:
Germany:
Company Command + 80mm mortar
2 x Grenadier platoons
1 x PzIII
1 x PzIV
Poland:
Company Command
Entrenched 37mm anti-tank gun
Entrenched 75mm field gun
Entrenched MMG
2 x Rifle platoons
The Germans are aiming to overcome the fixed defences, which would spell doom for the remainder of the Poles whatever. The Poles are fighting for time - but really, there is not much chance of help coming. It is all about glory, and heroism, and making the invader pay...
The Set-Up:
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The Polish defensive positions are on the two hills by the crossroads; the Germans are approaching from the bottom
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A pair of Panzers prowl on the left
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A Grenadier Platooon advancing up the centre (accompanied by the company commander and the 80mm mortar team)
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The second Grenadier Platoon is sent on a right-flanking move
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The two Polish rifle platoons are deployed in front of the right of the Polish position, protecting from direct attacks up the road and especially protecting the anti-tank gun position (top-left)
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A wider shot of the Polish positions
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The Battle:
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The Grenadier platoon advances then shakes out - the first fire is exchanged between the Polish gun and MMG, and the German mortars. But nothing much is affected.
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Whilst this ineffectual exchange of fire continues, the flanking German grenadier platoon makes good progress (top-right), using a mixture of cover and crawling to stay unobserved
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And takes position in the wood - they are about to try and advance, but the leading squad is spotted by the MMG position and gunned down. The German grenadier platoon commander takes a cigar moment and re-thinks...
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Meanwhile, the Panzer pair have been called from the left flank into the centre to help suppress the Polish positions on the centre hill (top)
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A wider shot
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A bit of luck for the Germans - the Polish central hill positions are suppressed and the Grenadier platoon smartly disposes of the MMG (see the pall of black smoke rising) - the Poles try and send a squad to stop this threat (top-centre, just above the crossroads)
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But some smart shooting from the MG34 gunner in the German Grenadier squad overwatching it (bottom-right) cuts them down as they cross!
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Meanwhile, the other German grenadier platoon works its way around the back of the Polish position, capturing the Polish company commander and HQ staff and truck.
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It then disposes of the Polish gun position too! Note the change of facing of the Polish infantry - they are mainly engaging at long-range the German base of fire (primarily mortars), without much effect on either side
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The German commander leaves the mortars and his staff to carry on the distant firefight (right, in the woods) now his Panzers have got into an enfilading position (top-right on the road), whilst the German Grenadiers begin to go left flanking (centre)
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Meanwhile, the other German Grenadier platoon snurgles through the woods to the rear of the Polish position
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...you can see them work behind the anti-tank gun (top-left). The remaining German Grenadiers move to a position to engage the re-deploying Polish rifles (bottom, to left)
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The Polish anti-tank gun position is destroyed!
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The German commander gets his panzers to advance into the centre of the village - the Poles with an easy escape route try and take it (right) - most make it. The Polish ATR team surrenders (top-left) to a combination of the advancing Panzers and German grenadiers
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All the remaining visible Poles surrendered at this point, all being disrupted and waiting the inevitable.
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Game Notes:
That one went a bit better for KG Heller, no? It was quite neat if you know what I mean - very Brecon/Salisbury plain, although not the worse for that, given the recent prevalence of recce troops trying to overcome infantry platoons in decent defensive positions straight off the line-of-march! Probably an Iron Cross first class for the commander of the 2nd Grenadier platoon too, since his actions unlocked the Polish defence, although of course this was enabled by the supporting fires, which weren't dominant, but were heavy enough to eventually give an opportunity for a successful attack. The only significant German losses were in the squad cut down by the MMG in the first attack - MMGs are *really* hard for infantry to attack in this game, they really need to be at least disrupted by HE fire or any attack is highly risky. The German attack was helped by the odd bit of decent shooting, but combat is a bit like that, and it isn't if the Poles hadn't had the help fo the rub of the green/the hot hand in recent battles themselves. I think the thing that let the Poles down was probably the quite poor shooting (especially difficulties in bracketing) by the Polish 75mm gun.
Anyway, all good fun and a good way to end the campaign. I think I did miss a trick in that in this game I could probably have done the prepatory bombardment with these rules! The only issue with that I think is that it isn't clear in Just Jack's original how much damage the air strikes and artillery had caused. In any case, I hope readers enjoyed it. I will do a more general campaign round-up soon.
Models are a mixture of Heroics and Ros, Scotia and Baccus. Buildings are by Battlescale I think. Defences by Timecast IIRC.
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